1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to machines for automatically attaching two-piece electrical connectors to flat, multiconductor electrical cable, and particularly to tooling within the machine for gripping the connectors prior to attachment to the cable.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
In the electronics industry and computer field, and particularly in the field of minicomputers and microcomputers, it is necessary to utilize multiple lines or busses interconnecting several different elements on the same line. For example, it may be necessary to have a sixteen conductor cable for providing a sixteen conductor bus for communicating between a central data processing unit, a peripheral memory, and peripheral data monitoring devices. As a consequence, more and more reliance is placed on mass termination techniques for interconnections between and among components.
Typically, such a mass termination system includes the use of multiple conductor cable which is usually a flat cable having a plurality of conductors in a parallel, standardized spaced array in the cable and embedded on or surrounded by flexible plastic insulating material. For particular assemblies which are produced in substantial quantities, large amounts of multiconductor cable are required, all having a precise length and having two or more connectors disposed at precise locations along each cable length, with at least one connector located at each end of the cable. In a typical application, the various connectors may be of different configurations for interfacing with different types or makes of equipment.
The connectors are usually produced in two mating pieces, and are adapted to be applied with the cable "sandwiched" between the connector halves. One connector half has an elongate slot therein, and within the connector area, a plurality of spaced apart contacting pins. These pins are spaced apart the same distance that the conductors in the cable are spaced from each other. Also, the first pin is spaced a predetermined distance from one edge of the slot in the connector. When the connector half is properly positioned adjacent the cable, the connector half is forced against the cable to press the connector pins through the plastic cable layer and into contact with the individual conductors in the cable. The copper conductor is captured by the pins without the pins contacting conductors other than the one with which the pins are aligned.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,340 is a seminal patent in this field and describes a machine in which cable is fed from a reel to a cable assembly or connector applying station. Each station includes a pair of connector feed devices or magazines, connector receiving tooling and pneumatic rams for moving the tooling between a retracted connector-receiving position and an extended staking or terminating position.
The above patent and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,641,427; 4,709,473 and 4,744,142 all illustrate machines in which the tooling comprising the connector applying station is provided with a recess to accept the connector halves. This recess is by necessity larger than the connector, and, as a result, there is some room for the connector halves to move relative to the cable as the connector halves are applied. The goals of this invention are to eliminate any relative movement between the connector and the tooling and positively position the connector halves through application to the cable.